Mahwah November 28, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 3 Township settles litigation with Bergen Properties by Frank J. McMahon The Mahwah Council has approved a settlement of litigation between the township and Bergen Properties, Inc., the taxpayer for the property at 960 Macarthur Boulevard, which was acquired in April by Inspiration, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dress Barn, Inc. Bergen Properties filed tax appeals against the township for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, and those appeals are presently pending in the tax court. Mahwah Township Administrator Brian Campion advised that it was recommended by the township’s tax appeal attorney, appraiser, and assessor that the matter be settled at this time because a settlement is in the best interest of the township. Under the settlement agreement, the 2008 complaint will be withdrawn and the assessment of $13,830,000 for that year will remain intact. The 2009 assessment will be reduced from $13,830,000 to $11,200,000, and the 2010 assessment will be reduced from $13,830,000 to $11,000,000, while the 2011 complaint will be withdrawn and the assessment of $17,665,400 will remain intact. The 2012 assessment of $17,665,400 will be reduced to $16,000,000, and the assessor will change the 2013 assessment from $17,665,400 to $15,250,000. In October, the township’s planning board approved a site plan submitted by Inspiration, LLC for the new corporate headquarters of Dress Barn at this location on Macarthur Boulevard. Dress Barn, Inc., a subsidiary of Ascena Retail Group, Inc., which acquired the 20-acre former Meldisco/Footstar Company property earlier this year, plans to move its 390 employees from its Suffern, New York location to Mahwah. The site plan calls for Dress Barn to expand the existing 132,708 square foot building on the site by 60,715 square feet by adding 10,715 square feet to the northeast corner of the existing building and constructing a 50,000 free-standing building in an adjacent portion of the existing parking lot. The new building will be connected to the existing building by an enclosed walkway. According to Jeff Ross, the assistant executive vice president for store planning and construction for Dress Barn, the $32 million construction at the site will begin as soon as the company receives its building permits from the township, and the renovation of the existing building and the construction of the new building will take place simultaneously. Ross predicted that the number of Dress Barn employees would grow to 600 in a year or two, and the new facility would have adequate space for them. The Mahwah location will also contain a mock store where displays can be set up and photographed to guide the company’s stores around the country. But Ross emphasized there will be no sales on the premises, and no customers will be coming to the new facility. Plans for the Dress Barn site include 648 parking spaces that will be nine feet by 18 feet and 13 handicapped parking spaces, two of which will be van accessible. There is also the potential for an additional 132 parking spaces if the number of employees exceeds 600 in the future. The company agreed to replace the sidewalk along Macarthur Boulevard with a five foot wide concrete sidewalk that will meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In addition, the light poles on the property will be lowered from 35 to 30 feet in height.